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A review by frankynstein
To The Dogs by Alex Maskell
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Maskell pulls off what few dare to even attempt - he creates meaningful, believable characters with no dialogue, nor even names. And yet, each character has a unique personality and voice, so present in their actions and descriptions that there is no noticeable absence of what is not there.
This book feels like a love letter to nature. It details the lives of not only dogs, but their prey, their predators, and lives of those entirely separate to their own. It is set amongst a backdrop of the demise of the human race, with only a few scavengers remaining. Maskell’s post-human world depicts the inevitable return of nature to even the most urban of environments, providing details down to what species of plants and trees have managed to break through the tarmac of roads and brickwork of buildings.
To The Dogs is, undoubtedly, the best novel I have read in a long time. I can’t wait to see what the author does next, and will be starting his co-debut novel, Boys, immediately.
This book feels like a love letter to nature. It details the lives of not only dogs, but their prey, their predators, and lives of those entirely separate to their own. It is set amongst a backdrop of the demise of the human race, with only a few scavengers remaining. Maskell’s post-human world depicts the inevitable return of nature to even the most urban of environments, providing details down to what species of plants and trees have managed to break through the tarmac of roads and brickwork of buildings.
To The Dogs is, undoubtedly, the best novel I have read in a long time. I can’t wait to see what the author does next, and will be starting his co-debut novel, Boys, immediately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
All content warnings are in relation to wild animals going about their lives